On our first morning in Dublin, we had breakfast at Bewley's Cafe in Grafton Street for old times sake. It is a place I have visited before with family. If we had cared to
read about the place, we might have been impressed by the famous Irish literary figures and the fame of the place. Nevermind. Sometimes you don't need to know the history to appreciate how special a place is.
We sat in a booth at the back of the cafe. The furnishings are rich deep browns and reds. It wasn't oppressive, thanks to the wonderful stained glass windows created by Harry Clarke in 1927. They fill the space with light and beauty.
If you don't eat meat and don't like eggs, it is a difficult task to find a vegetarian breakfast of any interest. In retrospect, having had some amazing scones on my trip so far, I probably should have gone for a sweet scone. Instead I went for the bagels with tomato and cheese. They were nice but not amazing.
E on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed his breakfast. After starting the day with a croissant at Centra, he ordered porridge and the full Irish breakfast. Needless to say he didn't finish everything on his plate. Sylvia and her cousin Dash were very busy colouring in the Bewley's activity sheet, but they took time out to share a pancake stack. Chris and Fergal both had bagels with ham and eggs.
I wish I had had more time to admire the baked goods at the front of the store. There were pretty iced cupcakes, pastries and scones. All looked very tempting. I also loved this tier of Christmas baked goodies.
We all had a fantastic time at Bewley's. Interestingly, Chris and Fergal who are locals, said how much they enjoyed it but that they rarely thought to go there. I'd like to think that if I had a Bewley's in my own city I would visit more. The reality would probably be quite different. Yet I am sure on our next visit to Dublin we will yet again visit this fine Dublin institution.
Bewley’s Café
78/79 Grafton Street
Dublin 2
Tel: +353 1 672 7720
http://bewleys.com/bewleys-grafton-street-cafe
Sometimes you need to be a visitor to get to these sorts of places. Bewley's looks lovely, in atmosphere and history and food (although perhaps not for vegetarians at breakfast). The Christmas tier is particularly impressive.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kari - I agree that it can be hard to appreciate places in your own town. I think I would prefer Bewley's for a morning or afternoon tea but definitely recommend it if only for the decor :-)
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